This invention relates generally to doors and more particulary has reference to wardrobe doors of the type which slide along a track or swing on hinges mounted on a doorjamb, another door, or some other structure.
Doors of the type described are frequently used with wardrobe closets found throughout the home. Those closets typically have door openings which are designed in various styles, shapes and sizes. Identically designed openings often differ in size or shape as a result of construction tolerances or deviations from design specifications.
That problem is usually addressed by constructing the door only after the opening has been measured. With the measurements in hand, the style of door can be selected and the components of the door can then be produced in the proper size and assembled in the desired configuration.
To hold down the cost of this type of construction, it is necessary that the door be made from relatively inexpensive components which have been standardized and reduced in number to the extent possible. Each component should be adaptable for use in any of the various styles, sizes and shapes of doors likely to be required. Adaptation should be accomplished with minimal effort and little waste of material.
It is often the case that the door must be delivered or installed immediately after the measurements have been taken. Accordingly, the process for adapting and assembling the components must be simple enough to be accomplished quickly and easily by a worker in the factory or, when necessary, an on-site workman. The number of tools and facilities required for final assembly must be kept to a minimum.
The cost considerations, combined with a need to minimize weight, frequently leads to the use of hollow or channel stock for the door frame members. Unfortunately, existing frame designs using those materials tend to be weak and flimsy and not well suited for securely and properly mounting the various rollers and hinges associated with sliding doors and swinging doors.
It is usually preferred to provide the door frame with mitered corners. Miter joints are generally stronger than corner butts and have a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. In existing doors, this requirement has been incompatible with the use of standardized channel stock frame members and the goals of simplifying construction and minimizing the number of components. An L-shaped or angled connecting bracket has been required for joining the frame members at the mitered corners. The connecting brackets are relatively expensive because they must be carefully designed and machined to avoid distorting or separating the corner. They also complicate the frame assembly process. To form the corner, an assembler must first coordinate the positioning and relative alignment of three components, namely the connecting bracket and the two frame members to be joined, and must then maintain those positions and alignments while performing whatever additional operations, such as turning screws, that may be necessary to secure the components to each other.
Accordingly, no existing wardrobe door has proved entirely satisfactory.